Propelling pencil



Oct 26 1926.

Ff D. HARDESTY PROPELLING PENCIL Filed Jan. 19 1920 [N VEN TOR.

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Sw muh Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES httllfil PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS D. HARDESTY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE T. WATSON, OF

. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROPELLING PENCIL.

Application filed January 19, 1920. Serial No. 352,445.

The present invention relates to pencils of the type wherein the lead is contained within a barrel of suitable material, preferably metal, and by means of suitable mechanism is forced out of the point end as required for use.

It relates more specifically to improvements in the propelling or forcing mechanism whereby the insertion of fresh pieces of lead is facilitated.

In one of the pencils of this type in common use at present, in order to insert new leads, it is necessary to withdraw the whole propelling mechanism, place the new lead in this, and then carefully insert the mechanism in the barrel while holding upright to keep the lead centered. Further. addtional leads are stored in a portion of the mechanism, rendering the operation more or less awkward on account of the several parts of pencil and lead to be handled.

In another more or less common form of pencil, the'lead is stored in a removable cylinder and it is unnecessary to remove the propelling mechanism in order to reload. In this form, however. the lead is inserted in the point of the pencil. As it is advantageous to use a rather slender lead in these pencils. it is very easy to break them when reloading in this manner.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages and produce a pencil that is easily and quickly loaded from the upper end, as distinguished from the point, and without removing any p0rtion of the propelling mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, all as will more clearly hereinafter appear. the invention comprises a propelling pencil in which the lead is forced from the point by means of a push-rod sliding longitudinally within a guide and means whereby. when the push-rod is retracted. a lead of suitable length may be inserted in the guide and in front of the push-rod, without removing from the barrel or casing of the pencil any of the propelling mechanism or elements normally in place therein.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a pencil with the cap removed;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of such a pencil on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the cap;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, with part in section and on a greatly enlarged scale, of a portion of the push-rod; and

Fig. 6 is a View, similar to Fig. 5, showing a modified form of the push-rod.

The pencil comprises a barrel l, a point 2, and a cap 3, and the interior propelling mechanism.

The barrel 1 is a cylindrical tube and may be provided with screw threads 20 within one end to receive corresponding threads on the point member 2. This point member 2 is provided with a central longitudinal tube or bore 5 and may be solid with the opening 5 bored or may be made up of a shell with a small tube centered therein. In either construction it is preferably conical, and it is intended that the bore or tube 5 shall have an inside diameter only enough larger than the lead to be used, to allow the lead to be forced therethrough. Furth-er, the inner end of the bore or tube should be provided with a funnel-like entrance so as to guide the end of the fresh lead thereinto.

Within the Vbarrel 1 and extending approXimately for one-half of its length from the point member 2., are two webs or plates 6 6 shaped as indicated in Fig. 2 and, for convenience in assembling and to assist in retaining them in proper relative position, surrounded by and attached to two or more rings 7. Instead of having a separate ring 7 adjacent the point member 2, the latter may be provided with an upstanding flange or collar and the ends of webs 6 6 inserted and attached. In either case it is preferable to attach the web struct-ure to the point member 2 so as to facilitate assembly or removal of the parts.

The webs 6 6 are so shaped as to provide at their central longitudinal portion a U-shaped groove t for the pushrod 8 and the lead. This groove 4 has also a longitudin al opening 9 at its bottom which opening 9 is of less width than the diameter of a lead tor a purpose to be explained later.

The pushrod 8, which should be of a diameter slightly greater than that ot the lead to be used, is adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally oit the groove e and push the lead out through the bore or tube 5 ot the point 2. Y

The pushrod 8 is mounted at its upper end on a bolt or plug 10 of somewhat: greater diameter and threaded with letthand threads of a rather large pitch. This bolt 10 is adapted to screw up and down within a correspondingly threaded cylinder 11 which may be open or closed at the top and mounted concentrically within another cylinder 12, which latter ts snugly but rotatably within the upper end ot barrel 1.

lThe cylinder 12 is preferably closed at the lower end except tor the openings registering with and ot the saine area as the channel 30', and inner cylinder 11, as clearly indicated in -Eig. 1; the channel 30 being formed by inserting the longitudinal webs or partitions 14 between the two cylinders as indicated.

An alternative construction would. be to form a complete cylinder' 12 and remove therefrom a sector corresponding in size to the sector shaped channel BOV between the webs 6.

Except for the part between the two webs 14 and the necessary opening communicating with the inner cylinder 11, the lower .end ot cylinder 12 is closed, thus -furnishing storage space'for extra leads and also means for attaching the two cylinders together.

As an additional strengthening means, a third web or partition 13 may also be placed between the outer wall of cylinder 11 and the inner wall of cylinder 12.

Within the upper end oi cylinder 12 may be affixed small lugs 15 which coact with the lingers 16 on the cap 3 so as to provide means for rotating t-he cylinders 11 and 12 within the barrel 1. This cap is also provided with a depending` sleeve 17 which tits over the end ot barrel 1 ttor greater rigidity when the eraser 18 is being used.

It will be readily seen that when the cylinders 11 and 12 are rotated, means must be provided for preventing the rotation ot the pushrod 8 and the bolt 1() in order that these members may be .moved longitudinally. Such means is provided by the longitudinal opening 9 in the bottom ot the ltl-shaped groove and the coaction therewith of one or more lugs 19 on the pushrod. rlhese lugs are integral with the pushrod and may be termed by pinching up a small portion ot the metal as indicated in Fig. 5 or by wclding or otherwise attaching to the pushrod a short length ot another rod of suitable size as indicated in Fig. 6 by numeral 19.

lt should also be noted that the end of the pushrod 8 is preferably slightly cupped as indicated at 21 in Fig. 5, in order to better engage the end ot the lead and retain this engagement.

rl"l1e operation ot the present device is more or less obvious from the description and hardly needs further explanation but one or two points may well be noted.

'lhe sector shaped channel which is formed by the parts 6 ot' the webs 6 6', is preterably rather narrow and a small inclined guide piece 22 may be placed at the bottom thereol'.

rlhe sector shaped passage 30 through or down the side of the cylinder 12 should be ot the same size as that between the webs 30 and marlrs or other suitable indications should be provided at any suitable place, such as upon the cap 3 and the adjacent barrel surfaces so as to enable one to know when the two channels register to 'form one continuous channel. Instead ot such marks, the lengths of the cylinder 11 and the bolt 10 may be so adjusted that when the pushrod and bolt are re racted to the limit, the two channels will register.

it will be obvious that the loading of the pencil may be accomplished by simply retracting the pushrod and, when the two channels register, dropping into the channel a new lead, holding the pencil in a horizontal position to allow the lead to drop into the guide groove and screwing down the pushrod.

It will also be obvious that changes may be made in the device or portions thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Accordingly what I consider my invention and whatl claim is:

1. In a propelling pencil, in which the propelling mechanism includes a longitudinally movable pushrod, a U-shaped guide groove for said pushrod, said groove being formed by two longitudinal plates each being so creased or folded along the central portion as to form one-halt oi' said groove the edges ot the plates forming means of support. for the groove walls.

2. In a propelling pencil, in which the propelling mechanism includes a longitudinally movable pushrod, a U-shaped guide groove for said pushrod, said groove being formed by two longitudinal plates .each being so creased or folded as to form at its central longitudinal portion one-half of said groove. that part of the plate which is above the open side ot said groove forming one wall of a channel communicating with the groove.

3. In a propellingpencil, in which the propelling mechanism includes a longitudinally movable pushrod, a rotatable cylinder, and means whereby when the cylinder is rotated, the rod is moved longitudinally, a second cylindrical element concentric with and outside of said cylinder but within the barrel of the pencil, said second cylindrical element beingl rigidly attached to said first mentioned cylinder and provided with a longitudinal channel open at both ends and outside of said cylinder and being also provided with means whereby this element with the attached cylinder` may be rotated within the barrel of the pencil.

4. In a propelling` pencil, in which the propelling mechanism includes a longitudinally movable pushrod7 means forming a U- shaped guide groove for the rod, a channel communicating with the open side "of said innesta7 and means for moving said rod longitudinally in said groove, a rotatable cylindrical element included in said means and provided with a. longitudinal channel and means whereby registry of' the first and second mentioned channels to form a con* tinuons channel may be ascertained.

5. A metallic strip for use in making pencils, the strip being creased or folded longitudinally to present a contour in cross section showing the two edge portions at an angle to each other with an arc-shaped reentering portion at the apex of the angle, one end of the are being somewhat farther from the plane of the edges of the strip than the other.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature FRANCIS D. HARDESTY. 

